Nightfall
by MyLadyDay
Summary: Every full moon, a sacrifice is chosen to appease the beast in the forest. Yet what happens when the beast isn't quite what you expected?
1. Chapter 1

It was barely an hour before nightfall, before the full moon would decorate the night sky. Of course it would be a full moon, that's why he was in his current predicament in the first place. He was still a bit confused as to why he had to be naked, but that was really the least of his problems. Sure, feeling mossy tree bark on his bare ass was less than satisfactory, but Thatch could hardly protest as he was being tied to that same tree in the middle of the forest.

"Why exactly does it have to be me?" he asked the village elder that was standing just out of reach, observing as the village hunters tightened the rope around Thatch's torso. He was beyond upset, honestly, already at terms with his fate and the shortness of his life as of that moment. "I thought it had to be a virgin," he added as the elder stared at him.

"You pretty much are one, Thatch," the elder answered with a straight face, prompting a glare from Thatch. "And the creature wasn't happy with the last girl we sacrificed. We think it needs bigger meals."

Thatch simply continued his glaring. Really, calling him a virgin and fat while tying him to a tree was just plain rude. His hopes for survival were non-existent as the men tied him up so he wouldn't be able to escape and turned to leave the forest just in time to avoid the sunset.

"I'm sorry," Marco turned around for a brief moment, avoiding eye contact as he was clearly ashamed of his actions. Thatch couldn't blame him, though. Not Marco or anyone else, for that matter. After all, he was convicted of murder, no matter that he didn't commit it, but it was still logical to sacrifice a criminal rather than a civilian. The men he had considered his brothers were only doing their jobs. So he smiled sadly at Marco's parting words.

"It's okay," he said, keeping the smile firmly in place as Marco looked at him with surprise and clear regret in his eyes. Without another word, he turned and walked after the others, never turning back.

The first howl came within the hour, Thatch suspected it had been an hour at least, as the moon shone above him. His heart began to hammer in his chest only then, staying relatively calm as he tried not to think of the chill of the air on his skin. The howl sounded across the forest and he knew the end was near. At least for him while his death would buy the village time until the next full moon.

Rustling of leaves drew his attention to the shadows on his right and Thatch couldn't help but to be afraid for the first time. Facing death wasn't what he had planned for that particular month, thank you very much. Still, he had no chance of escaping and his best bet would be to make peace with himself, but that was easier said than done as the darkness moved.

With a crackling of twigs, a big black wolf emerged from the shadow, its paws treading carefully towards Thatch. He only had a moment to wonder whether screaming would make a difference.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't so much a decision to scream as it was an instinct to do so as soon as the wolf came within reach. Thatch's voice carried through the forest as the animal stopped in its tracks, flattening its black fuzzy ears and closing its eyes at the horrendously loud sound. The wolf stepped back, tilting its huge head as eyes bored into the man tied to the tree.

Even if he somehow had the presence of mind to speak with such terror in his bones, Thatch wouldn't know what to say. He wasn't even sure if it'd do any good, really, just like the screaming. It was lucky no one was around except for the beast, otherwise some of his former comrades would probably tease him for the less than manly sound he let out at the first sight of an animal.

Thatch was expecting to die any moment, he was waiting for the wolf to pounce at him and tear him apart limb by limb. Instead, the black animal lowered to the ground, crossing its front paws and setting its head on them. Had it not been for the wolf's size, Thatch would perhaps joke that he was pretty much being held captive by a domestic dog. An oversized cat, maybe.

The animal's eyes stayed on him, however. Their color wasn't known to Thatch as it was too dark to see them, not that it made any difference to his situation. Moving was also out of the question for very obvious reasons. Yet, the wolf didn't move either. He was still and gave Thatch his undivided attention. Not exactly a development Thatch was expecting, but he wasn't exactly sure whether he liked it or not. Sure, he was still in one piece, but the wolf's intentions weren't clear so far. The beast could simply be toying with him, given that an animal could actually come up with a plan of dangling survival in front of him then slowly taking it away.

It was becoming clear to Thatch that he wouldn't sleep at all that night, mostly for fear that he'd never wake up again, but having a wolf stare at him was also fairly unnerving. The animal, however, looked pretty calm and collected. Creepy, but definitely not worried like Thatch so obviously was. Why the hell would he be, Thatch had to wonder. After all, the wolf had the upper hand in their situation. Its meal was already stripped of clothing and tied to a tree with no way of escaping. Not that Thatch actually tried to loosen the ropes, anyway. Thinking straight wasn't exactly possible with the amount of fear he was feeling.

That same fear kept him awake through the entire night, just as he had expected since the wolf didn't fall asleep either. Again, even if it did, Thatch wasn't sure what he'd do to escape with his life. Still, the animal looked as tired as Thatch himself was feeling, its eyes closing for longer periods of time.

Until the first rays of sunlight hit the tops of the trees around them and the wolf snapped back to attention, getting off the ground in one swift motion. Thatch could see how alert the animal was, glancing around frantically as the sun kept ascending to the sky. Patches of light filtered through the branches, giving Thatch a really good look at his captor for the first time.

Black as night, the wolf's fur shone where the sunlight hit. Even as fluffy as the animal was, it looked dangerous, yet not as big as Thatch had first thought it was. What struck him, however, was the deep purple of the wolf's eyes. More mesmerizing than menacing, but it still didn't offer any relief to Thatch. Sure, he lived through the night which was more of an achievement that one might think, but that could literally change any second. Depending on the wolf's mood.

A growl grating at his ear drums sounded from the animal, making Thatch scrunch up his nose and close his eyes as he had no other option at warding the sound off. Of course that did nothing to block it out, but it was soon replaced by incessant crunching, a sound Thatch recognized as the horrid melody of crushing bones. It was like music, just not the enjoyable type. More like a song so horrible you don't want to hear it, but cannot make yourself stop listening. His eyes were open in an instant, falling to the animal before him and making him wish he had kept them closed.


	3. Chapter 3

Words eluded him as he was gawking at the wolf or rather what was becoming of the animal. In a grotesque display of breaking and re-aligning bones, the wolf's form elongated as all the shiny black fur simply fell to the ground in a flurry, revealing the surprisingly pale skin of a lean body. It was painfully clear it was a human form, now that the excessive hair shed to the grassy ground, save for the head where it simply grew longer until it reached the middle of a smooth looking back. It was just as black and shiny as the wolf's fur had been.

The person before him was breathing hard, but didn't look hurt or in pain. Thatch was almost worried, had it not been for the fact he was still tied to the tree and he was pretty sure there were some bugs crawling in unsavory places. It may have also been unsavory to ogle the suddenly very attractive figure of what he presumed to be a woman, judging from the lithe figure and long hair, but it didn't really serve as an excuse.

It did provide a short distraction from the fact that he might still die fairly soon. The figure stilled, breathing evening out before turning towards Thatch and promptly causing another surprise. Before him stood a man, no doubt beautiful, with the same dark purple eyes the wolf had. The stranger's naked state really wasn't doing Thatch any favors as he found himself transfixed at the mesmerizing sight of the man's very appearance.

"Uhm," the stranger started, eyeing him curiously, but keeping his distance, still standing in the pile of discarded wolf fur, "do you need some help?" His voice was just as smooth and silky as his hair, the strange eyes boring into Thatch's own.

The words snapped Thatch back to attention, making him frown in confusion. Help? Why on earth would he need help?

"You're tied to a tree," the stranger continued, clearly seeing the confusion on Thatch's face. "I presume you didn't do that to yourself."

"Oh." What else could he say, really? It kind of slipped his mind for a moment, as strange as that sounds considering he was still naked and all that. "Yes, I think I do need some help, thank you," he replied to the stranger's original question, seeing as the words prompted a hesitant step from the other. "Wait, you're not gonna eat me, right?"

The stranger's eyes swiftly roamed over his body before he met Thatch's gaze again. "Well, probably not in the strict sense of the word," he muttered, just loud enough for Thatch to hear and freeze against the tree before he took into account the onceover he got and the barely noticeable blush on pale cheeks.

"Oooooh," was all he could say, grinning for a moment as the stranger drew closer, looking a bit distressed for a moment. "I'm Thatch," he added for good measure, figuring they could at least learn each other's names considering the situation.

"Izo," the man said with a small smile as he started loosening the rope which came off easier than expected. "You know, the ropes were completely loose, you could have probably freed yourself hours ago."

To say he was dumbfounded would be an understatement and Izo looked sympathetically as Thatch seemed he was ready to pull his hair out. Still, he said nothing as he turned and started walking away from Thatch who, honestly, didn't know what he should do now. As far as his village was concerned, he was dead. Even if he went back, they'd just put him back into prison. He was deep in thought, trying to weigh his options and didn't even notice the stranger stop just a short distance before him.

"Aren't you coming?"


	4. Chapter 4

They were barely walking for five minutes, both still buck naked, and Thatch was unfortunate (or delighted, he couldn't decide) in having to walk behind the very naked and very attractive black haired stranger. His feelings on the matter of watching Izo's hips moving to some unheard melody while they walked were completely conflicted between cursing Izo's indecency and cursing how obvious his boner would be if he chanced a glance at Izo's ass. It was a very difficult five minutes for him, something his odd companion didn't seem to share. Though, he could only guess what expression Izo wore.

"So where are we going exactly?" he asked warily, even if he realized it was a bit late to question anything, including why in the world he even agreed to come along. Ah, well, questions for another day, he supposed.

"We are going to my home," Izo replied, casting a glance over his shoulder for long enough to see Thatch stop in his tracks.

"Uhm..." he started, nervously glancing around. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. You could be... dangerous?" he finished with some reluctance as he watched Izo staring back at him with a blank expression.

"We already established that I am dangerous," Izo told him with a straight voice. "Not to you, obviously, otherwise you'd already be dead."

Thatch had to admit that made sense considering the wolf, or rather Izo, spent the entire night at a safe distance without touching him. Or, well, gnawing his face off. It could have gone either way, apparently.

"Don't worry, I'll just give you some clothes," Izo told him, his expression softening a bit. "I don't usually show people where I live, however, so if you tell anyone, I'll consider eating you," he said in the same innocent voice before elaborating. "Not in a fun way, though."

Thatch was aware that that statement should have alerted him, but he couldn't stop his mind from thinking what the fun way would be like. Not exactly an appropriate train of thought given the situation, he knew that much, but really, Izo was clearly teasing him. A lot. Pretty successfully, too, which was perhaps a bit frustrating considering everything. After all, as attractive as Izo was, he was also able to transform into a scary wolf. Thatch couldn't help but be worried that he wasn't exactly worried about it. Especially since he started walking towards Izo wearing nothing but a determined expression on his face. He probably looked downright laughable, though he was grateful no one was actually laughing at him.

"You're gonna have to elaborate on that 'fun way' at some point," was the only thing he said before Izo laughed. Thatch would have to admit he was startled by how light it sounded, momentarily forgetting that the attractive and likeable stranger was indeed some sort of monster. The more time he spent in Izo's company, it became easier for Thatch to forget, actually. He could only hope it wasn't some sort of spell he was put under.


	5. Chapter 5

They didn't walk fast, clearly in no hurry through the forest as the sun shone through the trees. The air was growing warmer around them as Izo led the way through the giant trees. Thatch had never been this far into the forest for the simple reason of it being too dangerous and the trees so tall, it was easy to get lost in there. If the numerous beasts didn't get to you first, that is.

Izo, however, didn't seem concerned by anything. His step was steady and unwavering, no fear evident in his posture as he led the way past the trees that towered over them. Surprisingly, there was plenty of sunlight and the place didn't seem as ominous anymore in the warmth and the utter silence. If he gave it a bit more thought, Thatch realized it was very odd that the forest around them was bathed in silence.

"Isn't it a bit quiet here?" Thatch blurted out, disturbing the quiet atmosphere. Izo glanced at him sideways, a smirk pulling on his lips and Thatch found himself momentarily distracted as Izo spoke.

"Prey always keeps quiet when a predator is near," he said in a low voice, enough for Thatch to hear him, but not loud enough to disturb the now menacing silence. A shiver made its way down Thatch's spine at that, the tone itself sounding dangerous enough even without the words filtering through. They did register in his mind a few moments too late, however, when he was finally able to extract his mind from the gutter. Sure, he'd known Izo was dangerous, really, it was kind of hard to not notice. Easy to forget, though.

"Do you always sound that smug?" Thatch's mouth was once again faster than his brain and he blurted out the next question before it even appeared in his mind. Way to go, though, sassing a dangerous creature in the middle of the forest. He was slowly coming to terms with the fact he would most likely never see the light of day again. He would miss the sky, for sure.

To his surprise, though, Izo laughed.

"I'd say self-confident, but yes," he replied, looking at Thatch with a smile. The man was utterly confusing. "We're here," he added before Thatch could reply, coming to a halt in front of a regular looking tree with several smaller trees growing around its trunk.

Thatch looked around, but didn't see anything that resembled a home. Not that he was expecting anything special to begin with, he'd have been happy with anything a level above a cave filled with half eaten rotting corpses.

Izo laughed once again, noticing Thatch's confusion, before pointing up. "Up there," he said as he tilted his head. Thatch followed his gaze up the side of the tallest tree and among the branches, a question already forming on his tongue as he noticed there was no light filtering through the leaves of that particular tree. Straining his eyes, he noticed what looked like planks only a shade lighter than the bark of the tree. With several more minutes of confused staring, it finally hit him.

"You live in a tree house?"

Izo simply grinned before ducking into the bushes in front of them, beckoning for Thatch to follow.


	6. Chapter 6

He had already crossed what felt like half the forest with Izo, following him into some bushes didn't feel like that much of a change and Thatch didn't stop to think about what he was doing. Izo didn't even need to ask him to follow this time which was either progress or a really lucky turn of events for the predator.

Not sure what to expect, Thatch pushed a few branches aside and followed Izo through the growth, trying hard not to brush a thorny branch against anything sensitive. He didn't even try asking any more questions, silently following Izo's naked butt and hoping he trip through the thorns was going to be worth it. The tree looked massive this close and Thatch couldn't see around it, but he could, however, see Izo slide behind a rock against the rough bark of the tree. Panicking momentarily, Thatch stopped in his tracks, a thorn covered branch whacking his behind as he accidentally let it go. Well, that was unfortunate. Izo seemed to vanish into thin air and Thatch was starting to panic internally because what the fuck. Dragging him in the middle of the forest then leaving his naked butt in some thorny bushes. Definitely not the fun he may or may not have been expecting.

With a dejected sigh, Thatch was almost resigned to turn back and try his luck walking back through the forest when Izo's voice reached him.

"It's not exactly warm out here, if you haven't noticed," he said, head peeking from behind the rock. "Come on." Once again, he disappeared behind the rock and this time Thatch actually saw him before hurrying to follow.

It wasn't obvious from the outside, but there was an opening in the bark behind the rock. Izo was standing in it just long enough for Thatch to see him before disappearing into the hole. This time, Thatch didn't hesitate and followed with a quick step, realizing that it was indeed a bit chilly in the shade of the forest when you were buck naked.

To Thatch's surprise, the opening in the tree's bark led to roughly carved stairs inside the tree, just under the surface, coiling around the core. The stairs were just wide enough for one person to climb them, spiraling upwards into darkness. It wasn't until then, really, that Thatch noticed just how big the tree was. He could barely make out Izo's pale form, or rather ass, in front of him for a brief moment before he stopped and Thatch almost bumped into said ass.

He didn't have time to question the hold up as sunlight hit him head on, blinding him on the spot. Thatch closed his eyes, trying to shield them from the blaze of light when a hand gripped his and pulled him up the rest of the way out of the dark staircase.

"Welcome to my home," Izo said, his hand still gripping Thatch's as he opened his eyes. The light was still a bit too bright after the darkness of the staircase, but he could slowly see the room around them. He found himself surprised at the space with big windows, piled with books and soft looking surfaces and light filtering in, giving the place a homey look. No corpses or blood in sight, which was a load off of his mind. There was even a kitchen on the other side of the room. The middle of the little house was reserved for the tree holding it, though the trunk was by far smaller than it had been closer to the ground with several pristine looking branches growing out of it and decorating the ceiling before growing further through openings in the roof. The holes were made to hold the branches perfectly with no space to let the outside elements breach into the house.

To put it simply, Thatch was impressed already. True, mostly because of the lack of gore that would indicate the end of his life, but the overall air in the space around him was a huge plus as well. Perhaps the feeling of Izo's hand on his was also a positive factor, but who knew.

"Why don't we get dressed?" Izo asked and Thatch snapped his gaze back to him, realizing that he may or may not have found another likeable detail. Perhaps.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, so maybe Thatch thought they didn't necessarily have to get dressed. He wasn't sure what exactly he wanted, but getting dressed didn't seem to be it. Still, he said nothing as Izo walked across the room behind a screen serving as a wall to separate the living area from presumably where he slept. Thatch could hear movements behind the thin surface separating them, but still waited patiently for Izo to reemerge. He busied himself with exploring the small house, completely fascinated by its pristine appearance. It was by no means empty, every shelf and windowsill filled with books, the occasional potted plant or pillow. There were a lot of pillows and they looked really inviting at the moment, Thatch realized as his eyes drooped with the wave of exhaustion that washed over him.

"Don't fall asleep on your feet," Izo chuckled and Thatch's eyes snapped open, averting to the side to take a look what Izo put on. The sight of Izo dressed in soft looking pants and a purple cotton shirt surprised him a bit, to say the least. His eyes went wide as he took in the sight, barely noticing the bundle of more soft looking fabrics in his arms.

"Are you okay?" Izo asked, a hint of worry appearing on his pale face.

"I figured you'd wear a leather loincloth or something," Thatch replied, his jaw slack at the added image, not noticing the way Izo rolled his eyes at the statement.

"I may be a monster, but I'm not a savage," he stated, throwing the fabric from his arms at Thatch. "Put that on."

Thatch chuckled lightly at the pout on Izo's lips as he unfolded the boxers, noting they were a bit smaller than his size, but he didn't have much of a choice, really. They fit okay, though, so he slid on the pants that were also a bit small and the shirt that, surprisingly, was in his size. The sleep deprivation, however, was taking over him, making his sway on his feet for a moment before Izo closed the distance between them.

"You should sleep," Izo told him, barely concealing his own tired yawn as he slid Thatch's arm over his own shoulder, gripping his waist before leading the way to the makeshift bedroom.

"You should too," Thatch stated the obvious instead of questioning Izo's actions. Or the fact he was dumped on the really soft bed, the smell of strawberries surrounding him immediately, before Izo prodded him into making room for him. He had half a mind to protest, seeing as hanging out with a stranger was within the realm of normal, but sleeping with a man that could turn into a wolf was bit too much.

"Shush, I only have the one bed," Izo interrupted before Thatch could even voice his complaint and he did admit it was a valid reason. With just a bare hint of reluctance, Thatch shifted on the bed and felt it dip a moment later as Izo plopped onto it.

Considering he was still alive, Thatch concluded that things could have played out much worse and with that, he heaved a heavy sigh before closing his eyes and letting the exhaustion take over.


	8. Chapter 8

By the time he woke up, Thatch was completely rested and content like he hadn't been in a while. His eyes still closed while he contemplated the suddenly soft mattress of his cell and the warmth on his face while his arms tightened around a soft weight resting next to him. That was odd, though, his cell was usually highly uncomfortable and there were no windows to let the sunlight in. His eyes snapped open before he shut them again with a groan, the sunlight too harsh on him. He was slowly coming to his senses, the chuckle sounding in his ear doing quick work of waking him completely.

"Do you mind letting me go now?" Izo's voice was far too close to his ear, low and teasing, his breath tickling the shell of Thatch's ear. "I would never have pegged you to be a cuddler."

With a hint of embarrassment, Thatch let go as if his hands were burned and Izo chuckled at him as he untangled himself out of the sheets. Thatch didn't watch him leave, finding himself wondering how one goes from being tied naked to a tree to sleeping and cuddling, no less, with his supposed murderer. The one that was making his way behind the screen and towards the kitchen, Thatch presumed. The assumption was proven to be true as soon as he heard the sounds of pots and pans clinking in the distance which just brought another question to light.

What would Izo feed him? Thatch didn't have a habit of eating raw meat or whatever gruesome thing werewolves ate. Oh lord, what if Izo planned on eating him? It made sense, if he thought about it, it is easier to just walk him through the forest and into the tree house than killing him back where he was then dragging the body. The panic was, once again, setting in as Thatch lay frozen on the bed. Honestly, he was getting too old for all this stress, though life with a weak heart wasn't exactly a problem considering the possibility of not living through the day. At any rate, if Izo didn't kill him, the panic most likely would.

The sounds from the kitchen continued, but Thatch had no more will to get up and try to think of an escape plan. The time he was living on was borrowed anyway, his death marked down for the night of the full moon when he was tied to that tree. Nothing could convince him of a happy ending anymore, prompting him to enjoy his last moments on the soft bed, a luxury he had not been granted ever since he was incarcerated. A lifetime ago, as far as he was concerned. He could remember the day he was arrested, his life flashing before his eyes much like it had done several times already in the past day or so. Pretty annoying, if he was being honest, as he was very well aware of his mistakes and shortcomings through his life with no need for reminding him so extensively.

With a start, Thatch realized the kitchen had gone quiet, Izo's slim silhouette seen approaching through the screen. Half expecting a hatchet in one of Izo's pretty hands, Thatch sat up on the bed and waited for Izo to step into his line of vision.

Instead of a hatchet, Thatch saw blood on his lips, streaming down a delicate finger as Izo sucked on it. With horror making his blood run cold, Thatch listened to the other speak.

"Why don't you get up and join me for breakfast?"


	9. Chapter 9

The idea of getting out of bed and towards what could have been a bloody murder scene in the kitchen wasn't an appealing one to Thatch, really, but Izo didn't strike him as an overly patient person with blood around his mouth. The scene of Izo with blood around his mouth as he sucked on his finger shouldn't have been arousing, either, but well, Thatch was far from what he could consider his usual morning routine so why not stray from normalcy even more.

With that in mind, he untangled himself from the mess of sheets and whatnot on the bed, standing up under Izo's unwavering gaze. Izo may or may not have smirked before turning around and starting for the kitchen, sure that Thatch would follow. Of course, he did just that, but it irked him that Izo was so smug about the whole thing. Not even a day and apparently Thatch was already very predictable.

"What's with the blood?" Thatch asked after mustering a tiny bit of bravery, but not enough to lift his gaze from the floor. Izo simply hummed before Thatch heard the scraping of wood against the floor when Izo sat down at the table.

"Well, are you joining me or not?" Izo sounded impatient and it made Thatch snap his gaze up from the floor and, as he belatedly realized, towards the kitchen. He grimaced for a moment, shutting his eyes with a jerky motion before he had the chance to see anything.

"Thatch, are you alright?" was the next question that came and he nodded hastily, trying his best to appear relaxed, even if he knew that ship had already sailed. "Mind opening your eyes?" Izo pressed on, no irritation to be heard in his voice, only confusion. Taking a deep breath, Thatch complied and opened one of his eyes, wary of what he might see. Really, this was too much for his poor heart.

Only, his gaze fell on a bewildered Izo sitting at the kitchen table with a cupcake in his hand, the speck of blood on his lips replaced by bright blue frosting. There was even a few purple sprinkles still stuck to the blue. Well, now he just felt stupid.

"Cupcakes?" he asked, both of his eyes open and very wide with surprise. Izo had the audacity to blush at that before replying.

"I know it's not exactly breakfast food, but you may have noticed I was just as sleep deprived as you were," he said with a mild glare, but the effect was entirely lost given there was still frosting on his mouth and the very bright cupcake in his hand. Thatch almost laughed for the first time in a while, actually, but figured it would be rude and might cost him his breakfast, no matter how random it was.

With a smile, he threw his hands up in defeat. "No, no, it's just... not what I was expecting." He joined Izo at the table with less panic in his gut.

"Let me guess, you were expecting human limbs and a pool of blood?" he asked nonchalantly, taking another bite of his cupcake with an expression that could only be described as innocent. The words, however, prompted a blush from Thatch this time because, yes, that was exactly what he had been expecting. The only thing Izo didn't mention was Thatch's fear of the limbs and blood being his own.

"Specifically, your limbs and blood?"

Ah, there it was. The bastard was amused now as well, probably because of how comically wide Thatch's eyes went as the other added more details to his question. He was about to stutter out an answer when the sound of laughter filled the room.

"Just eat, I swear it's doesn't contain parts of people."

Thatch picked a still suspicious cupcake and hoped the other was honest.


	10. Chapter 10

In all honesty, it was a great cupcake. Well, that could be because he hadn't eaten in probably far too long and the last time he did, it was prison food, but still, pretty good cupcake. Could have used a bit more sugar, though, and he said as much in the least offensive way he could think of considering he was graciously being fed by his would be killer.

Izo only gave him an odd stare as he took a sip of tea. "Do you bake a lot?" he asked with curiosity in his eyes, glancing over the rim of his rather dainty little tea cup.

"I was a cook before being arrested," Thatch told him nonchalantly, reaching for his own cup before he realized what he let slip. Still, rather than displaying absolute shock and horror, Izo simply lifted an eyebrow.

"So you're a criminal?"

Well, that was just rude. "I don't think you're really qualified to judge, considering you eat our people once a month." And there it was. He mentioned the elephant in the room and now he could do nothing but hope things would get resolved, he'd get to live and leave maybe… Izo put his cup down, propping his elbows onto the surface of the table and letting his chin rest on the intertwined fingers. His expression turned serious and Thatch took it as a sign to put down his own cup and turn his attention fully to Izo.

"We should be honest with each other," Izo started, looking straight into Thatch's eyes. "What the people of your village do is despicable and I have nothing to do with the deaths of those _sacrifices_." He made sure to spit out the last word with as much disgust as possible. "They were not left there for me and not all of them are dead. Just like you," he finished, still staring intently into Thatch's eyes. "None of the survivors were criminals, tough," Izo added for good measure while Thatch tried to make sense of all the information he just heard.

"What happened to them, then? If they're not dead," Thatch inquired.

"I gave them clothes and food before directing them out of the forest and into another village." It was impressive how Izo managed to stare at him almost without blinking and Thatch could feel himself starting to squirm under the attention. "Which is what I thought of doing with you," he added, his voice going soft, prompting a mirthless huff from Thatch.

"Sorry to say, but that won't work," Thatch informed him, finally looking away in shame. "I'm not exactly welcome in any of those anymore."

He didn't look up, not really interested in seeing the look on Izo's face. The silence between them stretched as Thatch still stared at the table instead of Izo.

"What did you do?" The question came with a soft voice, audible only because of the overwhelming silence around them.

"I killed the village priest."


End file.
